Rise of the Terran Empire
by bouncyjellies
Summary: Empires and races rise and fall. Some empires last longer, and achieve greater things. The Progenitors are long gone, but their legacy remains. A legacy that would propel a new empire to unimagined heights...the Terran Empire. Reboot of Veni, Vidi, Vici, inspired by East Bridge's fics. Cover is the Flag of Terran Empire, based off Cybran Nation (SupCom).
1. CH1 (Prologue)

AN: I read through Veni, Vidi, Vici multiple times, and realized that I didn't have much of a plot for it. At the same time, I had the simple problem of writer's block/laziness regarding 'The Reclaimer Effect,' so I decided to shell this little chapter out.

* * *

Rise of the Terran Empire: CH1 (Prologue)

* * *

Terra was one of many. There were literally hundreds of thousands- if not millions- of worlds out in the galaxy that had humans living on it. These humans didn't evolve there- they were seeded by an ancient race known as the Progenitors. The Progenitors fell more than ten thousand years ago, with little left of their civilization. The few outposts containing Progenitor technology were left to rot, and most of them would fade into nothingness in the time that would pass.

Facility AT-402 was just another of these Progenitor outposts, left to its fate. The caretaker of the facility, a Progenitor-created artificial intelligence, lay dormant within the abandoned underground structure. AT-402 was small by Progenitor standards, though it was actually the size of Manhattan, with multiple levels. In fact, it reached seven hundred meters in terms of depth, with labs, construction lines, and multiple storage facilities.

Located on one of Terra's smaller continents, AT-402 was the last bastion of Progenitor presence on the planet.

The caretaker knew nothing of how his masters had disappeared, seemingly without a trace. The last one thousand years of Progenitor history was wiped from his records, and with it most of the advanced technologies the Progenitors had perfected during their millions of years as the premier interstellar superpower. The more 'basic' technologies (which were hundreds of years more advanced than those of 21st Century Earth…at the very least) were still in the databanks, but it would seem that the data would never actually be used.

Facility AT-402 was just another lifeless structure, meant to be lost to time.

Emphasis on the word 'meant.'

* * *

_The five teenagers continued down the path, two girls and three boys. The chatter between them was rather frivolous, pointless gossip that teenagers and young adults seemed to love indulging in. One of the members of the group strayed a bit behind, still participating in the conversation, but not really putting his mind into it. He felt strangely foreboding today, as if he knew something terrible was about to happen. The grey clouds that promised rain only amplified this feeling. The five were headed to a small beach house, owned by one of them. _

_For a brief moment of time, he felt compelled to stop and listen, and did so, telling his friends that he would only be awhile. The growl of thunder began booming in the air, and yet he did not seem to mind. Turning to look at the vast ocean north of the vacation island he was at, the boy smiled fleetingly, before his instincts, which had served him well in the past, screamed 'danger.' He wanted to move, to jump out of the way, but his body stayed frozen, rooted to the spot as if someone had cast a spell on him. _

_Then the lightning struck. Instead of the usual color, the bolt was light blue in color. It was a numerical improbability, nigh impossible in its own rights. Improbable, though, did not mean impossible. Had this gone on like it would- should- have, the boy's brief life would have ended right then and there._

Then again, it was fate always had been a fickle mistress.

* * *

Unknown Location  
Unknown Date

Imagine the sound of an entire army marching across a field that could amplify the sound a hundredfold, all the while firing their weapons. That sound was nothing compared to the pounding that was going on in my head.

"_What the hell did I drink last night?_" the question popped into my battered mind almost immediately.

I opened my eyes, and instantly regretted it. The shining white light assaulted my vision, causing me to squint and squirm a bit, before blinking repeatedly, trying my damnedest to adjust my senses.

After a whole minute of excessive blinking, I shifted myself, realizing I was on a soft bed.

The room I was in was also unfamiliar…

As my addled brain came to the foregone conclusion that this was not my room, or any room I knew for that matter, panic began to set in.

The more rational part of my mind that had seen me through lots of tense situations immediately began the mental slapping that brought logical thought back to my brain. Of course, this was after a few seconds of almost hyperventilating.

I scanned the room once more, realizing that it was so…clinical. It was bare, with no decorations. The walls were seemingly metallic, and only a few pieces of furniture could be spotted. There was a small desk, a cushioned office chair, this bed- that was it.

Oh, and the lights…the bright shining lights that nearly blinded me.

As I took in what little I knew of the surroundings, another part of my mind began searching for a way out, but there was just one small problem with that- there wasn't a door in sight.

Damn it.

* * *

The Caretaker watched with interest as the being that had awoken him from his slumber rose from the bed that had been in the room where he was placed after appearing at one of the teleportation device's drop-off point. The fact that he was unconscious when he arrived meant that the Caretaker was not able to question him. And considering that the past eleven thousand years of history was missing from the databanks, the Caretaker had a whole ton of questions.

The most important of which was the simple 'how did you get Progenitor DNA into your body?'

That, it seemed, would not be a problem now…

* * *

I had been searching for anything that would signal a door for the past thirty or so minutes (at least I think it was thirty or so minutes), and had found nothing for all my efforts.

The walls were seemingly seamless. I say 'seemingly' because one section of the wall- one that I had inspected- suddenly slid downwards, retracting to form an open hallway.

"What the…" my muttered comment was interrupted by a voice that sounded…mechanical. It was disconcerting, especially when you added 'woke up in strange room' and 'retracting walls' into the equation. Hell, it was a minor miracle that I wasn't in a full-blown panic by now.

"Greetings, Inheritor. I am Construct-100592884, Caretaker of Facility AT-402. I have several inquiries that I would like to make," it/he (sounded male, so he seemed for fitting than she) stated.

I stood in shocked silence for a moment, before recovering, though I had to stop myself from gaping like a fish for a moment.

"Wait, wait. Where am I?" I immediately demanded, a little freaked out by this whole ordeal.

"You are in Progenitor Facility AT-402, located on the Progenitor seed world G1S-0004, designation Terra," the 'Construct/Caretaker' replied.

A whirlwind of questions overtook my mind, starting with '_what's a Progenitor_' to '_Terra? What's that?_' and _'who the hell are you?_'

Just then, a hologram of a male…human (?) in some form of…futuristic armor (?) appeared.

"It appears," he stated, "that we both have questions. We have much to discuss, Inheritor…"

* * *

AN: So, there it is, the first 'chapter' to the (hopefully) more interesting 'Rise of the Terran Empire.' Veni, Vidi, Vici is now officially cancelled, though this will replace it. Be advised that I will be working on 'The Reclaimer Effect' more than on 'Rise of the Terran Empire,' though I probably will update it soon.

Review if you want to. I won't dangle another chapter for you to get reviews (I'm petty and egotistical, but not _that_ petty and egotistical), but it does help put a smile on my face.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


	2. CH2 (11,000 Year Old MREs)

AN: I couldn't resist. That, and I didn't have the time for the larger chapters expected for The Reclaimer Effect. Drumroll please? No? No? Fine...

Here we go, with the second chapter of 'The Rise of the Terran Empire.' Enjoy!

* * *

Rise of the Terran Empire: CH2 (11,000 Year Old MREs)

* * *

Facility AT-402, Terra  
Date Unknown

I suppose that it was a good thing I had never been religious at all. Don't get me wrong- I have nothing against God(s), or people who worship him/her, or even the idea of an omnipotent being (though I have to admit, the idea that he/she/they can see you when you jerk off is very disturbing).

I just found it…convenient. Christianity and Catholicism, the two religions I grew up around (my dad's side of the family was catholic, my school was a Christian-majority one), had always given us the thought that we were special. 'Made in God's image,' as one of my more fundamentalist teachers put it, if I wasn't mistaken.

My grandmother (dad's side of the family) was close to being a fundamentalist (only after she reached sixty, before that she was not religious at all), though my other grandparents were more of the 'meh, who the hell cares' type of people. My dad was not necessarily devout as a catholic, but I knew for a fact that he went to church (usually alone, as I could get very annoying there if I came along) on something of a regular basis. My mom was a freethinker, though she was a Buddhist as well. I had a few friends who were Muslim, and a few others who were atheists.

Anyway, the point was that if even a small portion of the things the 'Caretaker' told me were brought to light on Earth, we'd have upheaval everywhere. Alien races? Check. Proof of actual human evolution? Check.

Had I been pettier, I would have been smug about all of this, but considering the state of where I was, that wasn't a very good idea. So I listened to what the Construct had to say, and answered what I could (it turned out that those eggheads on Earth were right about one thing- Earth _was_ the human homeworld, but not the Progenitor homeworld, apparently we were created as a successor race…or something like that), which wasn't very much in the first place.

Though the Construct/Caretaker had very little information regarding the last thousand years of Progenitor history and the subsequent 10,000 years of time where he/it (I'm leaning towards 'he' now) lay dormant, I discovered what 'Inheritors' were (certain people, like yours truly, had what I called the Gene, which allowed you to control Progenitor tech), along with a whole set of things, the foremost being the mind-blowing technology that would have been considered primitive by the Progenitors. Any- and I mean _any_ (even the Canadians)- nation on Earth would be willing to commit genocide for even one of these technological gifts that the Progenitors left behind. Advanced manufacturing techniques and technologies? Artificial gravity? Powered armor? Teleportation devices? Inertial dampeners?

Oh, and nanites. You couldn't forget the nanites.

Unlike the 'Replicators' from the TV series 'Stargate' (which I had only recently discovered, to my great shame), these 'nanites' could not form bonds between each other, though they did have medical and industrial advantages that would easily revolutionize every field of business there was on Earth. Faster computers? Easily done. Cancer cure? Done! Self-repairing armor? Already here!

I was on cloud nine. With this type of technology I could easily turn myself into the richest and most powerful person on Earth! I could make life better; prevent global warming from even happening. I could cure the diseases that plague the ones unlucky enough to get them, and prevent overpopulation!

There was, of course, one teeny tiny problem with that.

I had no way of getting back. For all the technology the Progenitors stored here, there were only mentions of subspace drives (FTL drives for the uninitiated), but none of the sciences or blueprints behind it. Only sublight drives existed, and while these sublight drives could go 50% the speed of light at full capacity, the distance of from Terra to Earth (about 12,500 Light Years) it would take me twenty-five thousand years to reach there. No, I needed FTL drives for that, and because I had none and didn't know how to build one, I was stuck. The teleportation device I used (don't know how that happened) to get here was a one-way trip thing- if I had Earth's Teleportation Grid Coordinates I could get back, but there were literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of coordinates you could input. I didn't know which Earth's was either, so that was a no-go.

Still, the fact that the Progenitors had FTL gave me hope, especially if they had drives that could traverse at least 12,500 Light Years.

It gave me time to think, too. Giving these advanced technologies sounded good as an idea…but was it really that good of a plan?

It would make us complacent, relying on tech left behind by our predecessors, and that was a recipe for disaster. Using their technology was something I could understand, as not even the most advanced Earth-developed human tech could do even a sliver of the ones that Progenitor tech would be able to. Eventually though, it would lead to complacency and stagnation, something that I did not want for the human race.

Unfortunately for human beings, war and conflict are usually the catalysts to technological leaps. The need to prevent the (definitely) bloody invasion of the Home Islands of Japan during WW2 drove the nuke to being developed and used. The need for better communications in case of a conflict drove the US military to develop the Internet. The need for tactical and strategic assets in the air drove the development of aircraft. The turbulent 20th Century saw Earth be embroiled in a Cold War between two nuclear superpowers, and caused us to go from inventing airplanes to going into space in a little over fifty years.

I hate to be the one to say it but war and conflict had always driven the human race forwards in technological advancements.

It was a moral dilemma. Do I allow wars and suffering to continue, only to ensure that Earth eventually creates their own technology? Do I let people die because I want to ensure that Earth in general doesn't become dependent on scraps left behind by a long-dead civilization? If it were a game of morals, then giving the tech to Earth would be the choice. Lives would be better…right?

But…human nature would always get in the way. Greed, racism, and whatnot would hinder the way for us, the people of Earth, to thrive. Giving them advanced tech would make the wars on Earth even worse- more would die, and then there's the question on _which _nation I give the tech to.

America? China? Russia? All those three aren't much better than one another. The USA may trumpet their morals and liberty, but when push comes to shove they can be just as bad as Nazi Germany…every nation on Earth is like that.

Demand a world government if I give them the tech? I highly doubt that would work. Everyone wants their independence, and unifying them without a true outside threat would never work. It would be like the United Nations, with every country demanding to lead. The major nations would dominate, and soon enough the smaller ones would cease to exist. That alone would stop the smaller countries from joining in.

No. Giving the technology to Earth would only hurt them in the long run. I would do my best to subtly nudge them down the more peaceful path, but I simply could not just dump all the technology to them and assume that they would play nice with each other. I would do my best to protect Earth, but I wouldn't do anything else.

Yes, that's what I would do.

Now…onto how I would do that…

* * *

It turned out that the Progenitors were either the most peaceful race to ever exist, or they simply had no one to fight. They had NO GUNS, NO WEAPONS! They weren't conflict driven, which made me wonder how they advanced.

Of course, the answer to that was simple. Humans evolved as hunter-gatherers, and were very territorial (especially when there was something to be gained). Species-wise, we were psychologically prone to conflict, and looked for the most efficient way of destroying our foes. The Progenitors sought to understand, cooperate, and unite, which made them very different from us.

They were wholly unprepared for conflict, which I suspected was what ended up with them getting destroyed. Something had to destroy them.

As for my case, the technology left in this facility allowed for better guns to be developed, but this was baseline Earth technology. Projectile weapons.

The first thing I did? Inject myself with nanites. It was a win-win thing for me, as I now had faster regeneration, higher resistance to diseases, and could gradually increase my mental capacity (better memory, for instance, is one of the advantages).

The biggest advantage from that, though? It was the ability to upload and download information from my brain into the databanks and from the databanks into my brain.

All I had to do was input the designs for StarCraft 2 (the graphics were better, especially the animations, with the image clearer, and thus easier to upload) Terran units and buildings, along with the memories of the vehicles and weapons I had seen and studied (sue me, I had a morbid curiosity regarding guns in my early teens, along with one regarding cars during my preteens). The Caretaker/Construct immediately studied them for implementation, and made a few adjustments. I gave the designs, but the actual parts and everything was just a pipe dream without him/it.

As the Caretaker finalized the designs, he noted that the 'Ghosts' and 'Spectres' were not going to be possible with mechanized units, needing actual psionic humans to fulfill the role. They could emulate the cloak (I discovered that though the Progenitors had no effective weapons, their defensive tech, like cloaks, shields and regenerative armor, was quite impressive), the sniper rifle…but not the psionic abilities of a Ghost/Spectre.

Even so, it was an interesting idea.

Of course, I _was_ surprised by the fact that psionics existed in real life, until I was told that as a descendant of the Earth humans, my ancestors had been left unaltered by the Progenitors as a 'control group.' It was slightly disturbing at the way we were considered experiments, but I suppose that it didn't matter now.

What did matter was that G1S-0004 was one of the initial worlds used for psionic testing on humans. The Progenitors were a fully psionic race, and they wanted their successors to have the same abilities, though evidently they were wiped out before they could do that. What did matter was that there could possibly be human civilizations existing up _there_.

Facility AT-402 was deep underground, with the only entrances being two 'hidden' cave entrances that led to an elevator platform, and two massive elevators (large enough to park ten siege tanks with a one meter gap between them) connected to the surface that were hidden under a cloak.

Anyway, the point was that I might as well have gone up there to see what is going on, right?

First, though…

A growling in my stomach made itself heard.

_Oh, crap_. This was an eleven thousand year old facility at the very least…and it hasn't been restocked.

"Construct," I said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, Inheritor?" he acknowledged, probably bringing some other systems online after an eleven thousand year slumber.

"You don't happen to store any food here, do you?"

* * *

Another AN (An AAN, if you will): It's a tad bit longer than the Prologue, though this is considered 'Miserably Small' by my standards. Review if you want to. Constructive criticism appreciated. Flames are not, though I would respectfully request that you use an actual account to flame (that way, I can fill your inbox with so much spam that you won't ever have to buy pork shoulder and ham ever again...get it, get it?).

For those of you who are unaware, MRE is an abbreviation for Meal Ready to Eat- which is a triple lie, according to US military personnel. It sure as hell isn't a meal, it's not even close to ready, and it's hardly edible.

I thought it was an...original chapter name.

Anyway, goodbye, enjoy your day/night! See ya soon!


	3. CH3 (The First Steps)

AN: Here we are with Chapter Three of 'The Rise of the Terran Empire.' Now, I do notice that these chapters are pitifully short. The thing is that with school and its workload piling up, I have little time to do larger chapters...and recently a large portion of my ideas have been swinging towards 'The Rise of the Terran Empire.' Now, for those looking for the update to 'The Reclaimer Effect: First Contact,' I apologize for not updating for such a long time, but know that TRE:FC has NOT been cancelled.

Oh, and I DO NOT OWN STARCRAFT, TOTAL RECALL, or anything that may or may not be referenced in here.

Without further ado, let us begin.

* * *

Rise of the Terran Empire: CH3 (The First Steps)

* * *

Facility AT-402, Terra  
Unknown Date

Take heed to this piece of good advice. Eleven thousand year old MREs (Meal-Ready-to-Eat) are disgusting. It seemed that even the Progenitors couldn't make an MRE that tasted decent. Of course, that may have just been due to the fact that it was _eleven thousand years old_.

I can't complain too much of it, though. It did what it was supposed to, and though the taste could have been better, at least there was still clean drinking water in the facility.

It had been a day since I arrived here, and I was already starting to miss getting home to Earth…and my family.

Dammit.

My parents must be worried sick, along with the rest of the family.

I shoved the thought aside. If I did want to go back, I had to find a way. Guilt-tripping myself wasn't going to magically get me an FTL drive. I had to either find the blueprints for one, or find an actual ship. Alternatively, I could hope that there were people who knew how to build FTL drives…

In any case, I had been asked by C (repeatedly saying Construct or Caretaker would drive me nuts) to go to the production lines, where I had told him to begin building the specialized buildings that would be needed to create any droids.

Of course, these specialized buildings themselves were from the designs uploaded from my brain, through the nanites implanted. While some would have moral issues about modifying one's own body, I had no such qualms. After all, it was _improving_ my capabilities.

The nanites in my body were also in my brain. This effectively allowed me to heal faster than any human, and be practically immune to many diseases, if not all of them. I had higher mental capabilities, and as such would be able to have a better memory, for one. The biggest advantage, though, was that I could upload and download information into the databanks in the facility. Through that, I managed to upload the designs for the Marauders, Goliaths, Siege Tanks, Hellions, Spider Mines, SCVs, other units…and the structures that would build them.

While I could have easily ordered them to be built by the production lines, the efficiency of doing such a thing could be put to question. Even so, building a standardized structure that could build both the nimble and small Vultures and the much taller and larger Goliath would mean that Factories and Barracks were much larger than when it was in game.

Maxing out the efficiency would mean making a Goliath Factory (not a standardized one) to build Goliaths, and a Hellion Factory to build Hellions. This would allow for only one unit to be produced, allowing a much faster rate of production, especially if the sizes of these buildings are increased even more. This would even allow multiple units of the same type to be built at once.

There was an inherent weakness in specializing everything too much though, so the basis of the future Terran (it seemed appropriate, given that it was based off the Terran race of StarCraft, and that I was on a planet called Terra) military tech would be the Standardized Barracks, Standardized Factories and the Standard Command Center (Construct was interested in the building's role, and commented that an 'Adjutant'-class Virtual Intelligence, essentially a non-sentient robot, would be well within the realms of the available tech).

The Standardized Barracks and Factories would be able to build all units in their 'unit classes,' so everything from a Vulture (named the Vulture Reconnaissance Vehicle) to a Goliath (named the Goliath Combat Support Walker) would be able to be built from a Standard Factory _without _any of the pesky add-ons, though a 'Tech Lab' would easily increase the build speed of a Marauder or Siege Tank.

The Standard Barracks/Factories also had another weakness, which was their size. These structures were too small, especially due to my insistence that they have the same mobility advantage that Terran commanders put to good use in game, namely their lift-off ability. This restricted their size, and as such would have a slower build capacity than the Extended Barracks/Factories, which could not lift off, and as such had a larger build capacity.

Though I would eventually build Shipyards and Starports (to build starships and smaller craft respectively), along with Airbases (to build fighters, bombers, and be used as a base for them), the main focus right now was to ensure that the designs and capabilities of the Terran ground units were at least similar, if not improved, to that of the games.

And from what I was seeing now, most were improved.

* * *

The Marine (the official name was Marine Combat Infantry Droid) unit was the most similar to those of the games, except for the weapon attachments they could wield on the MBR-1 (Marine Battle Rifle), like mini-shotguns, bayonets, grenade launchers or any future attachments I could come up with. An additional MHP-1 (Magnum Heavy Pistol) was also used as a secondary weapon, using the same rounds as the MBR-1. Aesthetically, the Marine looked the same, as did its rifle. The Magnum Pistol used a ten-round clip, with semiautomatic fire abilities. The MBR-1 would have a larger one hundred and fifty round capacity for each 'magazine,' with three modes of fire: semiautomatic, five-round burst, and full auto. The Marine would be controlled by a non-sentient Virtual Intelligence, which would be directed by another VI of higher processing power.

The Marauder (the official name was the Marauder Support Infantry Droid) had a grenade launcher, though there was no 'time-dilation' upgrade. To counteract this, the double-barreled 'Punisher' Semiautomatic Grenade Launcher was paired with a LMG-1 (Light Machinegun), and a single SMG-1 (Submachine Gun). The Punisher SGL would have a quick loading system, allowing for one grenades to be fired every three seconds from each barrel. This meant that it could fire 40 grenades in a minute, though it wasn't a likely scenario. The LMG-1 would have a six hundred round mag, with a full auto mode of fire. They used a same type of bullet as the MBR-1, and MHP-1. The SMG-1 would have a fifty round capacity, with two modes of fire: five round burst and full auto. They used a smaller caliber bullet than the MBRs and MGPs.

The Reaper (the official name being Reaper Scout Infantry Droid) has many similar qualities to its namesake from SC2. The jetpack, for one, was easily seen, allowing for faster movement than a Marine or other ground non-vehicle units. The Reaper itself would serve as a scout and guerilla tactics unit, and as such would have a relatively small role in open war. Unlike the semiautomatic pistols that they would duel wield in the game itself, the Reaper Scout Infantry would use a single SMG-1 as their primary weapon and two MP-1s (Machine Pistol) as their secondary weapons. MP-1s had a round capacity of twenty-one rounds, using an extended magazine that was initially meant for the SMG-1, until 'Construct' snorted at the wasteful design (though the idea of a submachine gun was new to him/it, as an AI he/it quickly adapted to it within minutes). MP-1s would be a fully automatic weapon, though they could be tweaked to fire in three round bursts. They would also be able to use the explosives that would eventually be developed, but for now they would have the C5 General Purpose Explosives and the Mini-Punisher grenades for their use. MP-1s used the same ammo type as the SMG-1, so that was a problem solved.

The most important one though, would be the SCV (which I had renamed from Space Construction Vehicle to Standard Construction Vehicular droid), which would allow the onsite construction of a Forward Operating Base. Unlike the SCVs from the games, the SCV Droid would be armed with a single SP-1 (Semiautomatic Pistol), which used the same rounds as the MP-1s. An SP-1 would have the same magazine as the MP-1, so standardization was already done.

The only 'Infantry' droid that wasn't based off a StarCraft unit though, was the Light Infantry Droid (part of what I would form into the Light Infantry). Based off the robots from the 2012 remake of the Hollywood movie 'Total Recall,' the Light Infantry Droid was nicknamed 'Patroller' due to its proposed duty of patrols, and civilian duties (like police droids). Their role was akin to that of a cleanup crew. The Marine-dominated force would overwhelm and overrun the enemy, while the Patrollers would mop up the rest and defend the bases.

The majority of the Vehicles, on the other hand, were not ready yet, except for the single prototype (and heavily modified) Armored Personnel Carrier that was based off the design from the APC from one of the StarCraft 2 Wings of Liberty campaign missions. The 'Raider' APC was, however, designed with a balance of speed and protection in mind. Armored plates surrounded the hybrid of tank and car, capable of transporting twelve Marines (or six Marauders, or twenty-four Patrollers) with ease. A single HMG-1 (Heavy Machinegun) controlled by the non-sentient VI that also drove the APC would allow a small amount of firepower. The Raider APC could also be driven manually. After a few moments of thought, I decided to call it a Light Raider APC.

* * *

"All this done in a day?" I whispered in awe as the churning of gears and machinery reached my ears. In the distance, I could see an innumerable amount of assembly lines, some of them assembling parts and some of them assembling SCVs. It was awe-inspiring, a reminder of the prowess and capability of the Progenitors.

"Impressive, is it not?" the mechanical yet lively voice of the Construct announced his presence. Somehow, he/it seemed…happy.

I could only nod as the 'proto' variants of the various units were put on display. There, in their full glory, were the Marine, Marauder, Reaper, SCV and Patroller, with the single APC. There were no Hellions, Vultures, Siege Tanks or any of the aerial units, but then again, it had only been a single day since I had arrived!

"How did you do this so fast?" I could only mutter the question, but the Construct heard me loud and clear.

"I'm the last generation of AIs ever created by the Progenitors…this, by all rights, is a slower than usual thing," he/it replied. "The designs and roles the droids would have to play were rather descriptive, so it was only applying what Progenitor technology contained in the Facility's databanks to them that took the time. The 'guns' and 'explosives' of your homeworld are rather effective, though crude. Still, it was the perfect baseline to work off."

I merely nodded. "This was what you wanted to show me, right?"

"Partly, yes," the Construct responded, before speaking once more. "However, it wasn't the main reason. This…"

The sound of a deactivating cloaking field- one that I had never heard before, sounding like a mechanical hiss- filled the air, and a new type of unit filled what was supposedly an empty slot.

Shock was the main feeling I had, before awe.

Construct took my speechless state as a good sign, before explaining. "The idea for a 'Ghost' or 'Spectre' was an interesting one, though one that is not achievable with the current level of Progenitor tech. A psionic human would be required for it…but an invisible infiltration unit…"

"Hot damn…" I muttered, noting a few things of the tentatively named 'Infiltrator' unit. It was armored with an alloy that was not shining, painted black. The aesthetics were much like that of a Spectre, though the helmet had no lights to give away its position. A cloaking field generator was strapped to the back, as well as a FN P90 lookalike (official designation SW1SMG, Special Warfare series 1 Submachine Gun). It had a seventy-five round magazine, and was fully silenced, without the sacrifice of range. The inbuilt suppressor would allow for little noise, and the attachment of an external silencer would make it practically silent, thanks to the help of Progenitor tech. A larger Sniper Rifle resembling a Barrett M82A1 Anti-material Rifle was also strapped to the Infiltrator's back, though the bipods were removed (in any case, they probably weren't necessary). It was a SW1SR (Special Warfare series 1 Sniper Rifle), with twelve rounds and a semiautomatic fire mode. It had an inbuilt suppressor and could mount an external silencer. The ammo type was the same as that of a HMG. Large blades were strapped to the chest armor and left hip, while a SW1PDW (Special Warfare series 1 Personal Defense Weapon) based off an H&K MP7 was strapped to the right hip. The SW1PDW would have three modes of fire: semiautomatic, three round burst, and full auto, utilizing the rounds used by the MP-1 and SMG-1. Like the SW1SMG, SW1SR, and all future models of the SW Series, the SW1PDW had an inbuilt sound suppressor and could mount an external silencer.

Choosing to ignore the muttered comment, the Construct continued. "While it is still an experimental unit, the potential it has as a commando or assassin is high, and as such has been given a sentient AI."

"A sentient- so he…it…she can form independent opinions?" I questioned.

"Indeed, sir," responded a merry voice from the Infiltrator unit. "I am 'Avaris,' a fully sentient special combat ops artificial intelligence. While I do not have the same processing power of Construct, I have faster reactions than humans and can formulate tactical battle plans."

"And before you ask, 'Avaris' has been assigned to defend you," the Construct stated, before continuing. "The altered 'Three Laws of Robotics' has also been used as part of his base code."

I grinned at that. Sci-fi author Isaac Asimov created the Three Laws of Robotics, and for the benefit of the uninitiated:

- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

- A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

I had altered it to allow full loyalty from the droids and future AIs to me.

"Well…Avaris," I said, managing to pronounce the sentient AI's name properly. "Up for a little trip up top?"

* * *

AN: Here we are with Chapter Three of 'The Rise of the Terran Empire.' Now, I have uploaded a cover, though it is also the flag of the Terran Empire. For those unaware of it, the symbol is based of the Cybran Nation's insignia from the computer game 'Supreme Commander.'

Speaking of 'Supreme Commander,' those who are interested in fics involving those should check out Guardian54's fics. She has done an awesome job in potraying a genre Mass Effect Crossover fans call 'Curbstomp.' She also has some Alternate History fics, based off Command and Conquer (though it is heavily altered, but still awesome and realistic).

I would also like to thank both East Bridge and WriterFrantic16 for their works of art on this site. East Bridge, as many of you should know, started up this damned 'mini-genre' in which an individual gains control of the Zerg Swarm/Protoss/Terrans. WriterFrantic16, as far as I know, is the only fic author who completed a 'Terran-styled' fic of this mini-genre. Here's to those two!

Also, go check out VexMaster's fics. His 'Stargate: Galactic Imperium' and other works continue to amaze me, considering how long some of them are. Even if you do not know what Stargate is about, fear not. S:GI is kind of like the East Bridge Fics, but with multiple universes (Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, etc.), though it's rather...dark.

Anyway, this is bouncyjellies, signing out!


	4. CH4 (Brave New World)

AN: Hello boys and girls! Here I am, with the fourth chapter of 'The Rise of the Terran Empire.' My current main project, 'The Reclaimer Effect,' is being screwed three times over by a devastating case of Writer's Block, and as such I have placated myself and my little amounts of guilt by dishing out another Chapter of 'RotTE.'

Also, I would like to begin asking for submissions for Original Factions. Send me PMs regarding any ideas you have. The format will be at the end of the page.

Enjoy!

* * *

Rise of the Terran Empire: CH4 (Brave New World)

* * *

The elevator door to one of the first cave entrance slid open, and I walked out with Avaris just a few steps behind me. The cloaking field generator on the prototype Infiltrator immediately whirred to life, and the special droid disappeared from sight. Although a faint distortion could be spotted, you had to know what to look for and really concentrate to actually spot anything.

Prior to leaving the Facility, I had asked the Construct if there were any scanners to find out what was on the surface. It was then that I discovered that while several scanners did exist in the base a long time ago, all but a few lower-grade regional scanning devices had been lost to time. The 'regional' scanners could only scan whatever was in a fifty-kilometer radius of the Facility.

The scans did yield several interesting results. Though tens of small villages with less than five hundred people were scattered all over the area, it seemed that there were five larger towns with several thousand people. Two even larger cities with above ten thousand inhabitants were also in the vicinity of the 50km radius.

It was also already late afternoon, judging by the setting of the sun.

With that in mind, I immediately set off to the nearest settlement. Coincidentally, it was one of the 'towns,' one that had a population of two thousand and three hundred or so people.

I was dressed in a simple black leather jacket and dark pants (or trousers, to clarify), and had a hidden SW1PDW for whatever self defense needs I would need. The outfit was something I had conjured during the two-minute trip to the Fabricator devices, which would use the nanites produced by the Nanite Forge to create anything from spare parts to clothes.

Given that the distance from the Facility to the town was about a kilometer or so, by all rights I shouldn't have been able to make to journey without breaking a sweat. I would be the first to admit that while I wasn't obese, I wasn't exactly the shining image of fitness and masculinity.

The nanites injected into my bloodstream, though, took effect here. I breathed more easily now, saw clearer and thought faster now. I had better hand-eye coordination than ever before, and, from what I could gather, had a much higher lung capacity.

Avaris, being a non-biological unit, did not have any of the problems us fragile organics would have.

Soon enough, the town came into view. Whatever hopes I had about anyone here being able to build an FTL drive was immediately quashed by what I saw.

Hell, Earth would have a better chance than these guys.

It was a medieval town, and looked as if it had been plucked right out of medieval Europe. Granted, I had no bloody idea what medieval Europe actually looked like, but these people were nowhere near gunpowder, considering that a wooden wall- yes, _wooden_- surrounded the town. All the buildings looked like antiques (from my point of view, considering that I was used to concrete jungles of steel and glass), as did the guards that were on top of the walls.

Swords? Arrows? Really?

My heart sank as I realized that another possibility of returning home had been torn into pieces, and stamped into the ground by a horde of Spanish bulls.

A hint of desperation and anger rose in its place, though that too was nullified by the might of logical thought.

I would need another plan to rely on. Searching for Progenitor facilities that may or may not even exist on this world would be a foolish thing to do, given that there was a distinct chance that there were no other Progenitor installations on this planet- hell, maybe even this galaxy.

That left me one and only one option…inventing one.

I was not a scientist, despite the increased intelligence I had. The chances of me inventing a FTL drive was very low…which meant someone else would have to reinvent the damned thing.

This meant that I would need actual, real life people. Considering that these towns here were primitive (a basis on which to make an educated guess regarding the technological state of the planet), that was not likely to happen…unless I changed a few things.

Damn, this would be harder than I thought.

I gave another glance at the town, before making my decision. If I was going to do something, I may as well find out what system is in place, and the state of the area.

* * *

The single primitive path into the town was surrounded by overgrown weeds, leading to a large open doorway that led under the walls of the town.

With a shrug, I walked onto that very same path and headed for the city. Avaris, still cloaked, was behind me. The guards on the wall, now that I had a closer look, wore some form of chainmail armor similar to those I had seen in museums. I walked into the town just as a donkey-like animal dragging a cart was exiting, shepherded by an old man in a tunic, moving past the guards with little hassle.

Avaris was right behind me, still cloaked (and undetected). I felt a tinge of reassurance at the Infiltrator droid's presence, knowing that the firepower the droid could wield would easily tear apart the guards I had seen earlier.

"Thief!" the scream of a female voice in heavily accented English tore me away from my thoughts.

The enhanced hearing provided by the nanites in my bloodstream as part of its advantages immediately went to work. Near a fruit stall was a gorgeous brunette that could not have been more than twenty or so years old, wearing some form of dress that seemed to be prevalent among the females in the town that I have seen. She, however, had the right curves in all the right places.

A dash of brown then thundered past the edge of my vision.

"Stop him!" cried out another voice.

'Avaris,' I ordered my protector through the link created by the nanites in my body. Aside from giving me the capability to upload and download information from and into a Progenitor databank or any of the future servers I would build, it also gave me the capability to send orders to the units built with Progenitor tech. 'Get to a vantage point, and begin tracking the so-called thief.'

With that, I began to chase after the crook. It wasn't out of chivalry, or the goodness of my heart. I needed information…and asking another person was hardly a possibility. This was a golden opportunity I could not squander…it certainly didn't hurt that the person I was helping was very pretty, too.

Prior to the enhancements done to my body by the nanites, I would have had a hard time (at the very least) tracking this 'thief.' He (it was a guess) moved faster than an average man, and probably knew this part of town like the back of his hand.

My superior eyesight and better senses in general allowed me to keep up, before a report from Avaris came in.

'I've got the target in my sights. Orders?'

My reply was brief, but clear. 'Get me a shortcut that would allow me to ambush him…preferably somewhere I cannot be seen.'

'Understood…turn left at the next turn, and make a straight dash down the alley. I'd bet half my processing power that he'll turn there,' Avaris quickly responded.

I didn't say anything, but followed his instructions, reaching the end of the alley. True enough, the 'thief' came into view, still wearing the same outfit, though he was walking much slower now, blending in.

Had I not known what my target looked like, I would have thought that he was a mere pedestrian, just another inhabitant of this medieval town.

I waited for him to get closer to the alley, before grabbing him by the back of his tunic and tossing him into the alley. My left hand immediately drifted to my right pocket, and pulled out a syringe filled with nanites. A jab to the neck with the syringe's hollow needlepoint was all it took for the fill of nanites (this one directed by me) to retrieve all the information I needed, and knock the man out. The data downloaded from his brain to the database was immediately analyzed by the Construct back at the Facility.

In the meantime, I began rifling through the man's pockets, finding a single woven purse that was colored peach.

I then gave an order for Avaris to keep an eye on the unconscious crook, before making my way back to the stalls where the chase had begin a few minutes ago.

Imagine my surprise when I see a group of new guards, these ones in more decorative and golden chainmail, in the area. Imagine my greater surprise when I saw what they were doing.

* * *

The muffled sound of Avaris' sniper rifle reached my ears as another Guardsman fell, a hole in his head and his brain matter all over the cracked cobblestone floor.

Two other Guardsmen who had been near their now-deceased friend watched in shock, mouths agape at the grisly sight, and Avaris used that to his advantage as well. Two more muffled sounds filled the air, barely picked up by enhanced hearing, and two of the guardsmen fell along with it, their brain matter and blood being mixed with that of their brothers-in-arms…and past victims too, if I wasn't mistaken.

The SW1PDW in my hands sprayed some shots at a group of guardsmen towards the north, though I probably missed all the shots. Nanites or not, this was a gunfight, and I had never actually been in a gunfight before. I never actually wanted to go into a gunfight, but my damned morals and overly aggressive idiot guardsmen didn't really leave me much of a choice here.

Then again, I probably shouldn't feel too bad about intervening, even if it did end with a gunfight. If these…scumbags…were _considered_ to be _honorable_ defenders of an _honorable_ kingdom, then I'd hate to see the dishonorable ones. Things like what they had almost done were what made me think that some humans were just worthless, and deserved to die.

They had tried- _tried_ being the emphasized word here- to force themselves onto girls that were probably not even sixteen years old, and the woman who had her purse stolen. They, and the 'royal' amongst them, were probably the first people…

People?

No.

Things.

Animals.

These were lowlifes, especially the so-called royalty among them. The armor of these guardsmen had been clearly different from the ones at the front gate of the village. These guys had more…decorative armor, to say the least. Instead of the drab chainmail, these idiots had golden chainmail, and their leader- presumably the 'royal' member among them- used a golden chainmail with some ridiculous looking hat.

But the thing that got to me the most, though?

It was the fact that everyone around this…madness…watched as if it were a daily occurrence. No gawking, just going on with their daily lives. An underage girl was going to be sexually assaulted, in _broad daylight_, and nobody said a single thing about it.

My big mouth then brought me to this situation. The 'Royal Guardsmen' shoved me back, and took out their little puny swords that would have scared me, had I not been under the watch of a deadly synthetic droid under my command.

"_Stay back!" the Royal Guardsman roared as he brandished his blade, and pointed it at me. "The Prince will do as he pleases, to whoever he wants."_

The same Guardsman was the first to get shot by Avaris, and his brain matter and blood mixed together ran through the cracked cobblestone streets of this town.

The single action of the Guardsman dropping dead due to 'magic' (in the minds of the people here, guns did not exist yet, only arrows, and as such a silenced bullet tearing apart a man's head right after threatening another man would equate to me having 'magic') immediately drove the people into a panic.

The 'Prince,' in contrast, merely stopped what he was about to do, the whimpering teenagers still being held by a few guardsmen. With a few strides he made his way to the dead Guardsman, and then faced me.

"_Commoner! How did you attain this…magic of yours?" he demanded. "Only royals have magic…"_

That, of course, threw me into a loop.

'Not of the elements?'

The hell is he talking about? Does that mean 'magic' exists here? Or was it…

It must have been. The Construct mentioned that the Progenitors had tried to give some humans psionic capabilities. Evidently, this wasn't a widespread ability, and those that did have it evidently became the leaders.

Through force, I bet.

The roar of another charge of Guardsmen brought me back to the partially screwed up situation I was thrown into. A barrage of rounds from the SW1PDW in my hands tore apart the Guardsmen, and slight amounts of shock filled me. The adrenaline rush was still on, so I wasn't exactly thinking straight.

Shit hit the fan right after that.

A swarm of regular Guards (henceforth referred to as Regulars) rushed into the area, and surrounded me.

Avaris' sniper and my PDW could probably eliminate most of them, but these things had an ammo capacity, and the sheer amounts of enemy numbers would surely end with my death.

The report that came in mere milliseconds after the thought only confirmed it.

'Hostile numbers too high. Recommend retreat,' it read.

Gee, Avaris, thanks.

The Prince then cackled. "Your magic will not save you now, commoner scum!"

Then, to my great surprise, the town's Guards swarmed forth…to the Prince and his Guardsmen.

The sheer numbers of Guards offset the skills of the Guardsmen, and the sniper support Avaris gave only tipped the numbers to 'my' side.

The Royal Guardsmen fell to the ground, dead after being stabbed by blades so many times, their decorated armor being nothing but a hindrance to the blades wielded against them.

With an unseen shrug, I moved forward, unsure of what to do. The Prince had ring of fire around him, and the town's Guards hesitated. They were afraid of the 'magic' this bastard had.

The profanities he shouted were many, but then he began to growl.

"You will die for this, usurper! I will capture you, and every male in your family! And then I shall take what is mine from the women as you watch, and then I will kill you-"

A burst from the PDW in my hand and a shot from Avaris' rifle tore apart the royal's chest and head, and he fell dead, the fiery ring around him dissipating. The Guards watched on, slightly shocked by what had just occurred, and then began cheering.

It was obvious that they didn't like this 'Prince,' but had no way to fight him before- arrows were probably useless against the armor of the Royal Guardsmen, judging by the fact that they swarmed with swords and blades instead of the safer barrage of arrows.

Then the cheering died down, and they turned to me.

_Oh, shit._

One of the town's Guards, who seemed to be the leader of this bunch, moved forward…

And bowed.

I kid you not. He bowed.

And with that, all of the people and all the other Guards followed.

"All hail…the new King!"

_Oh…double shit._

* * *

AN: Did you see that coming? Yes? No? Also, REVIEW please (if you want to).

As for the 'Original Factions' submission, I will need you to list it out this way.

Faction Name: (For example) Kingdom of Carvilis

Faction Size: (Example) Small (S)

Very Small/Small/Medium/Large/Very Large/Massive (VS- Approx. Rhode Island. S- Approx Ireland, M- Approx Scotland+England+Wales, L- Approx France, VL- Approx Larger than France+Belgium+Netherlands+Switzerland)

Faction Government: (Example) Monarchy (King, Queen, Emperor, Empress, Prince, Princess). Explain your faction's government.

Faction Capital: (Example) Carvilis. Also write down major cities in you faction, and say why they are important. (Example) Nova Basel (Royal Guardsmen Headquarters)

Faction Leader: (Example) King Turrannos III. If it isn't clear from the name (like king=male), then you need to tell their gender.

Faction Military: (Example) Royal Guardsmen- Defends Royal Family. Royal Army- Standard Army forces. Militia- Lightly trained Conscripts. (Militias, like conscripts, need to be emphasized. For example, the Royal Army in the example are trained soldiers. The town guards in the story above are conscripts).

Faction Attitude: (Example) Tyrannic (behavior), Isolationist (attitude). (The behavior is how the faction acts within their border. The one in the story above is tyrannic, because their leaders are out of control and cruel. The attitude is their behavior towards other factions. Are they Expansionist? Hostile? Say why.)

Faction Technology Level: (Example) Medieval. (Tech Levels can be: Primitive (Cavemen, wooden clubs), Medieval (Catapults, Swords, Arrows), Renaissance (has cannons, but no gunpowder rifles, crossbows, swords), Industrial (muskets, essentially 18-19th Century weapons tech). No MODERN ERA ALLOWED, SO THERE ARE NO PLANES. OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS.

_Thank you, and goodbye!_


	5. CH5 (Inauguration by Fire)

AN: Hello boys and girls! I'm back! And with a new chapter too! SNEAK PEEKS into the future events of "RISE OF THE TERRAN EMPIRE" are included below!

* * *

Rise of the Terran Empire: CH5 (Inauguration by Fire)

_I should start this off by saying that I never liked dictatorships. Monarchies were essentially dictatorships with a 'grace of God' added into it, and that opinion had stayed along with me for all the years. Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses. It was the same as dictator and despot to me. _

_It isn't blind hate. I do acknowledge that a properly run monarchy can actually do better than a messed up democracy. I understand that the amount of power a monarch wields is an attractive thing. Hell, even the word 'Emperor' sends chills down my spine…not that I'd have admitted it._

_But what gives one man or woman the right to lord over everyone else? In the past, it was the 'divine right to rule.' The divine right to rule didn't save them from getting overthrown and beheaded…_

_Still though, it was a tempting thing to behold…in theory._

_It wasn't mere theory now._

_This was real. I had the chance to lord over others…and I can't help but ignore the smart part of me that is screaming 'don't do it.'_

_I needed a way to go back to Earth. I might have just found it. I can improve the standard of living here, and control it so that it doesn't end out of control. I can ensure that the people here get educated to the level of technology left behind at the Facility. Through this, I might just have a chance at cracking the secret to the FTL technology, or the Teleportation tech._

_And besides…I hated people with power…unless the person in charge was me. Can't hate yourself, can you?_

- Excerpt from the Emperor's Private Journal, dated Day One, 1 AE (based of Imperial Terran Calendar, After Empire)

* * *

The town was evidently called 'Newburn.' Two thousand, three hundred and eleven people lived here, and it was one of the Kingdom's many towns. Like many of these towns, the people of Newburn lived right on the edge of the poverty line, or what passed for a poverty line here anyway.

'Kingdom' meant 'The Sovereign Kingdom of Carvilis,' the nation that controlled the area, which was evidently south of the 'Postero Mountain Range.'

The man/animal/thing that I had killed was one of the four princes of the throne, the third in line, if my information wasn't wrong.

Then it hit me. Killed. I had killed someone…

A sick feeling began churning in my gut. What the hell was wrong with me? Since when did I kill people and not feel anything?

Technically, I didn't kill people- not until the events that occurred yesterday, that is.

Granted, the man and his lackeys were scumbags, and the people here were probably better off without him breathing and living, but the simple acknowledgement of the ramifications of the fact that someone was _dead_ because of my actions hit me in the gut like a freight train travelling at full speed. It hit me in the gut, and I felt nothing.

A slight panic began to rise within me, but the more rational (and probably colder) part of my brain slapped it down.

_You do not have time for this wallowing in self-pity. The idiot is dead, and you are alive. There will probably be an army of angry soldiers coming here to kill you and every other inhabitant of this town, and you have the means to defend it. These people chose YOU. Yes, YOU, to lead them…and you damn well better not screw it up! If that doesn't motivate you, the simple fact that if you fail you'll die probably will!_

I blinked my eyes, before listening that same rational part.

I had a job to do, and I damn well better do it…to save my own ass, if anything.

* * *

The Facility and Newburn were a short distance away from each other, so I felt quite comfortable with staying in the new town that had sworn me in as their new king. I didn't like the title of 'King,' but there wasn't time to be picky here.

The Facility's production lines had been put into overdrive. SCV droids were constructed and instructed to mine resources from the nearby area and build Barracks and Factories, while spare parts and weapons were being churned out by the production lines (which were supplied by the SCVs) and the few Barracks that were up were churning out Marines and Reapers like there was no tomorrow.

The Reapers were put into scout teams of two Reapers each, with ten teams in the field at the moment. They would scout the area around Newburn. An additional five teams of Reapers were situated around the Facility as an advanced warning force. The Facility's Scanners should have been enough, so it was a just-in-case thing.

In the meantime, two APCs had been constructed, and loaded up with twelve Marines each. These were being transported to Newburn, being much faster than moving on foot (the Reapers were already mobile thanks to their jetpacks).

Newburn itself had become home to the very first Marines under my command. The populace watched in awe as the 'metal golems' under the control of their King began preparations to defend the town.

The town's mayor, who had been killed during the uprising against the Kingdom, had managed to send out a single outrider to inform the nearby towns and villages. The mayor, being the plump, obese ball he was, didn't manage to do much against the rebels, and when his Manor was stormed it was no surprise that he was easily subdued. His beheading was a messy affair, but such things were rather insignificant in light of my current situation. Eventually, the Kingdom would have to send an army to recapture the town itself. If they didn't attack by the time I had a sufficient amount of forces, I would go on the offensive. It was, after all, historically proven that fighting an _offensive_ war was almost always better than fighting a _defensive_ war.

Compared to what little I did know of the Royal Palace at 'Carvilis' (most of which was gathered from the few loyalists within the city who were 'mind-probed' by the nanites) the Manor was a small affair. At a mere two stories tall, it was admittedly smaller than the house I had lived in when I was still on Earth. Then again, I _was _a spoiled, rich brat who had the privileges few others had.

Still, compared to most of the buildings in Newburn it was downright palatial. And now, it would serve as the temporary command center for the forces I had under my command.

Which, at this moment, wasn't much.

As they say…baby steps, right?

With a deep breath, I began to do what I could to position my troops.

* * *

SNEAK PEEK (#1): The _Resolute_

In geosynchronous orbit of the familiar yet alien world was the ITS _Resolute_…the Terran Empire's first military starship. At three hundred and fifty meters in terms of length, it was slightly longer than the largest naval vessel ever produced by the navies of Earth, though its crew knew nothing of that. The _Resolute_ was a hybrid design- there weren't anymore of its class being built. It would be an experiment to see what designs worked in space, using a style that the Emperor privately referred to as 'Battlestar.' The _Resolute_ was an aerospace craft carrier and battleship, with the space to hold an entire company of highly trained Imperial Commandos, all of which could be deployed by Drop Pods or shuttles. It was also the flagship of the nascent Imperial Terran Star Navy.

Most importantly, however, it was the symbol of the Terran Empire's power. The ability to rain death from above by fighter craft was frightening enough to those not part of the Empire, and the ability to rain death from space was downright terrifying for any faction not under the Empire's 'protection.'

It was the Emperor's way of cowing Terra's denizens into submission, and from what Captain Thomas Hunt could learn, it was working _very, very_ well. Hunt was the son of an Imperial Terran Army colonel that served the Emperor for years, and was very competent at his duty. He was loyal to the Empire, that was for sure, but the…imperialistic tendencies of his nation would trouble him sometimes. Hunt knew that the existence of the ITS _Resolute_ was due to its 'power-projection' capabilities- you could turn a city into a destroyed husk by artillery bombardment, bombs or plain old commando teams with explosives, but nothing screamed 'power and superiority' like a starship did.

The Empire hadn't conquered most of Terra yet, but millions were clamoring for their nation to join the rising star of science, technology, and military power. The 'Blitz' of the Hardedge Continent by the Empire's mechanized legions was the stuff of legend, never mind the might of the maritime fleets the Empire maintained. Instead of launching bloody invasions of other continents though (bloody for the defenders, that is), the Empire merely showed off their advanced technologies. This was enough to cause the collapse of multiple fiefdoms, all of which were quickly inducted into the Empire, and pushed several protectorates to switch allegiance to the Empire. Interestingly, the leaders of the protectorate states, unless spectacularly popular, would die of natural causes a few days later, and were inducted into the rapidly growing Empire.

Instead of conquering through war, conquest and death, the Emperor of the Terran Empire strove to conquer through intelligence, subtlety, and patience. Hunt couldn't help but admire the methods. War led to death, death led to resentment, and resentment would lead to a higher chance of an enemy within. In this method, the Empire would be able to absorb other states into it and grow, with a much lower chance of the enemy within.

The _Resolute_ was just another step of the plan, another cog in the Emperor's seemingly complex machinations. Hunt would just be another mere cog in the Imperial machine as well…and somehow, that suited him just fine.

* * *

SNEAK PEEK (#2): Gunboat Diplomacy…in SPACE

The Imperial Capitol was, as the name suggested, the capital city of the now interstellar Terran Empire. Built after the Empire was founded, the Capitol was a symbol of Terran core ideals…Order, Strength, Unity and Freedom. A strange mix of ideals, to be sure, but it worked, and that was all that mattered.

The Capitol was built around an island in the center (an artificial island), surrounded by 'rings' of structures. When seen from above, it would look like circles within circles, with a larger circle in the middle. The Center, as it was appropriately named, was filled with buildings that became taller as it reached the center. The 'shortest' building here was just less than one and a half kilometers in height, glittering in the afternoon sun like diamonds would. It was apt. The Capitol Center was home to the headquarters of all the Empire's important organizations and institutions, ranging from the Directorate of Intelligence, to the Imperial Marine Corps, Imperial Department of Science, to the many new corporations that had sprung up recently. The most important building, however, was the largest structure in the Center.

Composed of four towers (the Spires), each one three and a half kilometers tall, and the Acropolis (located in the very center and connected by bridges), which towered over everything else at a massive seven kilometers height, it was clear why the Capitol had been designed this way.

The Emperor's Residence, which was located at the very top of the Acropolis, provided a magnificent view of the Capitol. A view that I couldn't get enough of, which didn't surprise me in any way- New York and Tokyo were nothing compared to this.

The Center, the nucleus of the Capitol, was connected to the Capitol Proper by a series of bridges (also magnificent in design). Alternatively, you could get from the shores of the Capitol Proper to the shores of the Center by ship.

From there onwards, the city was plotted like a grid, ensuring that it would not turn into a mess like so many megacities on Earth did. The occasional flight of Imperial Terran Air Force Viking ASFs and Banshee Stealth/Support Gunships, sometimes accompanied by the rarer Warrior AGs (Assault Gunships, shaped like the Hercules, but with used as an airborne artillery platform) also reminded all who lived in the Capitol of the Empire's might.

Today, however, there would be no expense spared. Ten Vigilant-class Frigates (labeled FFG), four Pegasus-class Destroyers (DDG), two Orion-class Cruisers (CG), and a single Imperator-class Supercarrier (CV) floated above the Capitol, along with the flights of Viking ASFs and Banshee SSGs (Stealth Support Gunships), accompanied by Warrior AGs. These were mostly borrowed from the Imperial 1st Fleet, more commonly known as the Home Fleet.

On the ground, columns of neatly arranged Imperial Marine Corps and Imperial Terran Army Siege Tanks and other vehicles filled the roads, accompanied by squads of Marines and Army soldiers in full battledress, armed with rifles and watching vigilantly.

This show, of course, wasn't for nothing. Today, the Terran Empire would be making the first diplomatic contact with another planet advanced enough to have interplanetary starships of their own.

It was hoped that the show of force would…'convince' the visiting dignitaries that the Empire could easily wipe them out, and through that, convince them to seek joining the Empire instead of being destroyed.

It was Carrot and Stick diplomacy, done Gunboat style.

* * *

AN2: Yes, yes, I know. It's a filler, not really a chapter. The next chapter will (most likely) include more action, and thus, be longer. I hope.

Oh, and don't forget to submit your 'Original Factions' through the method in CHAPTER 4. Send it in a PM please.

Also, some fics you SHOULD read:

For you Halo fans: Halo: the Art of War (by Havoc-legionnaire)

For you Mass Effect fans: Mass Effect: The First War (by ProfFartBurger, along with the other fics he did), Renegade Reinterpretations (by College Fool), and Paragon Reinterpretations (there are two, both are equally good).

For you Battlestar Galactica fans: The Consequences of Not Being Polite (by The Sidhe)

For you Stargate fans: Stargate Domination (by Chris7221)

Even if you aren't fans of these fandoms, you should probably give them a read. I never watched BSG and I loved 'The Consequences of Not Being Polite.' I also hadn't played Halo for a long time, and 'Halo: the Art of War' still entertained me. I always was a Mass Effect fan, but those are really good fics. Stargate Domination is also rather good, kind of like 'what would happen if Earth was more involved with the galaxy's affairs.'

I would also recommend XSGCOM (read it on spacebattles, the one on fanfiction net isn't complete).Adios!


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